The creator of the latest series in the epic space opera, The Acolyte, aimed to surpass not only the franchise’s previous fight sequences but also those from films like The Matrix. Set during the end of the High Republic era, the show revolves around a Jedi investigating a series of crimes that reveal dark forces within the galaxy.
However, despite receiving positive reviews, many fans feel the series falls short and fails to elevate the franchise. As the showrunner left the decision to evaluate the fight sequence to the audience, fans have candidly shared why they believe the Disney+ series couldn’t top the iconic battle of The Phantom Menace.
The Acolyte Creator Aimed to Surpass Iconic Fight Scenes with Finale Showdown
Disney+ series The Acolyte might not have fully resonated with Star Wars fans, but one thing that received widespread appreciation is the series’ fight sequences, whether it’s Qimir’s brutal face-off in Episode 5, Night, or the climactic battle between Qimir and Sol in the season finale.
In a recent interview with Collider, The Acolyte creator Leslye Headland shared her ambition to create some of the most iconic fight sequences in the series. Talking about the fight sequence in the final episode, she said,
[Second unit director] Chris Cowan and I, we were shooting for immortality. We were like, “We are f**king going for it. We want to top Duel of the Fates, we want to top the train station in The Matrix. We will settle for nothing less.”
While the showrunner expressed confidence that they had achieved what they aimed for, she left it up to the viewers to ultimately determine if they had succeeded.
“I will leave it up to the viewer as to whether or not we achieved that,” she said. While fans have appreciated the efforts put into the sequence, they have also not hesitated to point out the one crucial thing that prevented the creators from meeting their ambitious goals.
Fans Identify the Key Flaw in The Acolyte’s Fight Sequences
The final fight sequence in The Acolyte masterfully captures the emotional stakes and personal conflicts between Sol and The Stranger. Qimir’s struggle for survival and Sol’s quest for redemption and atonement for his past actions create a confrontation driven by profound emotional motivations.
However, despite that, it lacks a key element, the background score. The initial Star Wars projects are embedded with the music score created by the legendary John Williams, including the Duel of the Fates.
The iconic score made its debut in the final lightsaber duel between Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Maul in Episode I and was later featured in George Lucas’ prequel trilogy.
Fans pointed out the same, as they shared their stance on whether The Acolyte could surpass the fight sequence in The Phantom Menace.
No and it’s for a very valid reason, soundtrack wasn’t strong enough.
— Joel “Bam” Watts (@Bamalam) July 20, 2024
It didn’t sell what is tbf one of the best delivered fights since then.
which fight scene? the only one that “comes close” is the forest fight scene in ep 5 but nothing tops Duel of the Fates and probably never will.
— 𝓣ony (@1InvincibleTony) July 21, 2024
I’m not saying this because I disliked the show and I actually enjoyed the choreography but it really didn’t come close. I look at it with three things.
— Syriangeekvibes (@syriangeekvibes) July 20, 2024
– Emotion
– music
– the actual fighting
Acolyte just missed the mark pic.twitter.com/yS7r0GRJYU
it’s hard to beat a score by John Williams but I would still argue for the acolyte bc the choreo is much more energetic. Imo what helped sell this fight is the dynamic camerawork from their second unit director / action designer. It’s just more exciting to watch.
— Dumb names (@yournameisdumb) July 21, 2024
100 percent. An iconic score could have changed things.
— Gap Toothed Wonder (@darthkush1983) July 21, 2024
The music is easily the weakest part of the show. Even if you loved The Acolyte, I feel you have to admit it's the weakest music Star Wars has ever had, compared against all canon movies, shows and video games. Not sure what happened here. A ball was dropped 🤷♂️
— Halo: Reclaim (@halo_array) July 21, 2024
The music for the Disney+ series, composed by Michael Abels, is also considered the weakest aspect of the show, as one X (Twitter) user said, “The music is easily the weakest part of the show.”
Fans acknowledged that matching the iconic scores of John Williams would have been a formidable challenge, as they argued that an iconic music score could have significantly altered the sequence’s impact.
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and The Acolyte are available to stream on Disney+.
